Barrel-hoop



(No Model.)

J. F. RICH. BARREL HOOP.

No. 431,916. Patented July 8,1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. RICH, OF SUMMERTOWN, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-TI-IIRDS TO LUTHER L.FRIERSON, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, TENNESSEE.

BARREL-HOOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,916, dated July 8,1890.

Application filed April 2, 1890.

.To an whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN FRANKLIN RICH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Summertown, in the county of Lawrence and State ofTennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Barrel Hoops, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of barrel-hoops having aratchet-tooth connection between the hoop ends, as described and shownin the Letters Patent No. 410,447, issued to me-September 3, 1889.

The object of my present invention is to render the hoop morepracticable and useful and adapt it for accommodating itself todifferent places 011 a barrel or similar vessel wherein the diametervaries throughout by reason of the bulge or swell. This object Iaccomplish by constructing the inner sides of the hoop ends with agreater number of teeth than the outer sides to afford a range ofadjustment whereby the hook can be expanded or contracted or lengthenedor shortened, as it were, to accommodate itself to different places onthe barrel.

The invention is exhibited by the accompanyin g drawing, in which thefigure is a perspective view of the two end portions of the hoop.

In the drawing, the numerals 1 indicate the end portions of a Woodenbarrel-hoop constructed to overlap one upon the other and each having alap-notch 2, so that the lapped hoop ends may be brought one over theother and the extremities carried under the body portion. The outersurface of each hoop end is provided with two ratchet-like teeth 3, andthe inner surface is provided with three or more similar but opposingratchet-like teeth 4. The number of teeth 3 may vary and the number ofteeth 4 may be increased; but for the purposes of my present inventionthe number of teeth on the inner surface must Serial No. 3%,315. (Nomodel.)

exceed the number of teeth on the outer surface of the hoop ends. Bythis means a range of adjustment is provided whereby the hoop can beexpanded or contracted to accommodate itself to different places onabarrel. As an example, I will refer to a flourbarrel, which usually hastwo hoops at an end or head, and these hoops in consequence of thebulging or swelling of the barrel cannot be of the same diameter, butdifferin this respect from live-eighths to three-quarters of an inch. Byproviding a number of inner teeth 4 greater than the number of outerteeth 3, I am enabled to slip the hoop ends one upon the other toincrease or diminish the diameter of the latter to fit at any place onthe barrel.

The present invention makes it possible to use a single tooth 3 on theoutside of each hoop end while two or three teeth 4 on. the inner sidethereof will effect the required range of adjustment.

To securely preserve the interlocking e11- gagement of theratchet-teeth, I propose driving nails or similar fastenings 5 throughthe hoop ends at the points 6 after hoop has been JOHN F. RICH.

Witnesses:

R. O. BOOTH, N. M. JONES.

